Top-access cabinet for suspended files and the like

ABSTRACT

A top-access cabinet including a lid movable manually from a closed position to an open position in which the lid is adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet, comprising a bail having a crosspiece pivotally connected to the lid, two arms pivotally connected to the side walls of the cabinet and a spring tensioned between at least one of the said arms and the cabinet for balancing the weight of the lid in any intermediate position between the closed position and the open position. Two support members fixed to the top edge of the rear wall are each provided with a slot into which a bent rim of rear edge of the lid enters during the last part of the closing movement to prevent the rear edge of the lid being lifted when the lid is closed.

Ceccarelli Sept, 24, 1974 1 TOP-ACCESS CABINET FOR SUSPENDED FILES AND THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Pietro Ceccarelli, Massa, Italy [73] Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C0., S.p.A., lvrea (Torino), Italy [22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1973 121] Appl. No.: 348,412

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 6, 1972 Italy 1001 72 [52] U.S. Cl 312/276, 312/138 R, 312/313, 312/323 [51] Int. C1 A471) 81/00 [58] Field of Search 312/138 R, 139, 273, 276, 312/313, 322, 323, 319, 320, 325

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,964,578 6/1934 Hunter 312/139 UX 2,338,477 l/l944 Wolters ct a1. 312/319 X Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell S Attorney, Agent, or Firm-4, J. Schaefer [57] ABSTRACT A top-access cabinet including a lid movable manually from a closed position to an open position in which the lid is adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet, comprising a bail having a crosspiece pivotally connected to the lid, two arms pivotally connected to the side walls of the cabinet and a spring tensioned between at least one of the said arms and the cabinet for balancing the weight of the lid in any intermediate position between the closed position and the open position. Two support members fixed to the top edge of the rear wall are each provided with a slot into which a bent rim of rear edge of the lid enters during the last part of the closing movement to prevent the rear edge of the lid being lifted when the lid is closed.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIED SHE-41974 3.837; 722

sum 1 or 3 PATENTEU Z 3,837. 722

SHEET 3 BF 3 TOP-ACCESS CABINET FOR SUSPENDED FILES AND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a top-access cabinet such as may be used for suspended files, including a lid movable manually from a closed position to an open position in which the lid is adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet.

Such cabinets are known and in one known type, the lid is connected to the cabinet by means of two rightangled elements which have a first end pivotally connected to the lid and a second end slidable and pivoting in guides on the cabinet. To open the cabinet the user must push the lid until this second end is close to the rear wall of the cabinet. The centre of gravity of the lid then passes beyond the line along which it is supported and the lid therefore turns owing to the effect of its own weight, until it rests against the rear wall of the cabinet.

In this known type of cabinet, the right-angled elements frequently tend to cant over and therefore bind during the sliding thereof. Moreover, during the opening or closing movement, the major part of the depth of the lid projects behind the rear wall, so that the cabinet requires a lot of space. Finally, the closing operation proves to be difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a top-access cabinet including a lid movable manually from a closed position to an open position in which the lid is adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet, comprising a bail having a crosspiece pivotally connected to the lid and two arms pivotally connected to the side walls of the cabinet, and a spring tensioned between at least one of the said arms and the cabinet for balancing the weight of the lid in any intermediate position between the closed position and the open position.

The invention will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the cabinet of FIG. 1 from the left;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line III-III of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a top view, partly in section, of the cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The cabinet 10, in FIG. 1, is of parallelepipedal form and comprises a front wall 11, side walls 12, a rear wall 13 (FIG. 2) and a bottom 14 (FIG. 1) of sheet metal bent and welded in known manner.

The cabinet is provided with a lid 15 which can be opened manually by means of a first handle 16 and is provided with a second handle 17 fixed to one side wall 12, by means of which the user can easily move the cabinet 10 on four castors 18.

A horizontal partition or shelf 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of sheet metal provided with edges which are bent and welded to the walls 12 divides the cabinet 10 into two compartments, an upper compartment 21 and a lower compartment 22. The upper compartment 21 is adapted to contain vertically filed items, such as suspended files of two different standard formats, accord ing to whether they are arranged longitudinally or transversely with respect to the cabinet 10. The lower compartment 22 (FIG. 1) is open at the front and may be used to contain various objects, for example, books or magazines. The partition 20 (FIG. 2) and the wall 14 (FIG. 1) may be provided with holes or slits to facilitate the removal of dust from the cabinet 10.

The top edges of the walls 11, 12 and 13 (FIGS. 2 and 3) are bent firstly towards the interior of the cabinet 10, then downwardly again towards the interior, and finally back upwardly to form a rectangular frame 23 from which the files can be suspended. In the downwardly extending bent portion, the top edges of the side walls 12 are moreover provided with two symmetrical openings 30 into which extends a pair of arms 24 of a bail 24. This bail is pivotally arranged on two pins 25 in line with one another and perpendicular to the side walls 12 and situated level with the top edge of the walls 12. The crosspiece 26 of the bail 24 can turn in two hingers 27 fixed to the lid 15, for example by means of screws. A tension spring 28 is stretched between the end of one arm 24' of the bail 24 and the partition 20 and is adapted to balance the weight of the lid 15. The ratio between the lengths of the lever arms of the bail 24 and the mutual positions of the pins 25, the point of attachment of the spring 28 to the partition 20 and of the rear wall 13 are such that the weight of the lid 15 is substantially balanced in any position of the lid.

The pins 25 are fast with two brackets 31 which are welded to the side walls 12 and also extend through the openings 30.

On the ends on the top edge of the rear wall 13 (see also FIG. 4), the cabinet 10 is provided with two support pads 32, preferably of plastics material and fixed to this edge by means of screws, for example. Each support pad 32 is constituted in essence by a plate 33 bent around the rear angle of this top edge. The plate 33 projects laterally and to the rear from an upper extension 34 of the support pad 32 in the form of two surfaces 35 and 36, on which a horizontal rim 38 with which the whole perimeter of the lid 15 is provided can rest. Moreover, each support pad 32 is provided with an undercut slot 37 adapted to receive the rim 38.

On the ends of the top edge of the front wall 11 there are fixed, for example by means of screws, another two plastics support pads 39 on which the front side of the lid 15 can rest. Two side partitions 40 are arranged removably between the top edge of each wall 12 and the partition 20 to separate the space usable for containing files and the spaces in which the ends of the bail 24 and the spring 28 move. The cabinet 10 may, moreover, be

provided with a lock 42 arranged in a recess of the handle 16 (FIG. 1).

Normally, the cabinet 10 (FIG. 2) is closed by means of the lock 42 and the lid 15 rests on the surfaces 35 and 36 (see also FIG. 4) of the support pads 32 and on the support pads 39. Moreover, the rim 38 of the lid 15 is inserted in the slots 37 of the support pads 32 and cooperates with the outer flanks of the extensions 34, which hold down the rear part of the lid and located it laterally.

To open the cabinet 10, the user first opens the lock 42. Then. gripping the handle 16, he raises and pushes back the lid until this is arrested in the position of maximum opening adjacent the back 13, this position being shown in H6. 2 in dash lines.

During the opening movement of the lid 15, the rim 38 leaves the slot 37 and then slides over the rear angle or corner of the plates 33 until the position of maximum opening is reached. Throughout the opening movement, the weight of the lid 15 and the tension of the spring 28 are in equilibrium with one another, so that the lid is balanced in any intermediate position between the closed position and the position of maximum opening.

Substantially no effort on the part of the user is necessary for opening or closing the lid 15, its weight being balanced by the spring 28. Moreover, during its movement, the lid 15 projects little from the back 13 of the cabinet 10, which does not therefore require excessive space for its accommodation.

in the position of maximum opening the lid 15 is not disposed vertically but is slightly inclined with respect to the rear wall 13. This is due to the fact that the distance between the rear angle of the plates 33 of the support pads 32 and the pins 25 is greater than the minimum distance between the pins 25 and the rim 38. The lid 15 therefore cannot bang against the rear wall 13.

To reclose the cabinet 10, the user grips the handle 16, raises it and pulls it towards himself until the edge 38 inserts itseof in the slots 37 and then rests on the surface 35 and 36 of the plates 33 and on the support pads 39.

It is understood that various modifications may be made in the cabinet described without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, the cabinet may be provided with a rod or bar which can be arranged removably between two pairs of sides of the frame 23 so as to take further different formats of tiles. The cabinet may, moreover, contain other dividers or partitions, the partition can be eliminated, the front opening of the compartment 22 can be clocked in, and so on.

What I claim is:

l. A top access cabinet comprising: a front wall; a rear wall; two side walls; means defining a given pivot axis at the top rear portion of the cabinet; a lid; and means mounting said lid for pivotal movement between an open and closed position about said given pivot axis along a portion of said lid between the rear portion and the intermediate portion thereof during movement of the lid from the closed position to the open position wherein the lid is adjacent to said rear wall, said means comprising two arms, first means for pivotally connecting each of said arms to one side of a front portion of said lid, second means for pivotally connecting each of said arms to a fixed pivot point on one side wall between the intermediate portion and rear portion of said side walls, and means biasing at least one of said arms for balancing the weight of the lid in any intermediate position between the closed position and the open position.

2. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said means defining said given pivot axis comprises two support members fixed to the top edge of said rear wall, said lid including a peripheral bent rim resting and sliding on said support member in the intermediate positions of said lid.

3. A cabinet according to claim 2, wherein each of said support members includes a rear portion adapted to engage side portions of said bent rim when said lid is in said open position for enabling said lid to be inclined downwardly away from said rear wall and a projection in an upper portion thereof for laterally guiding said bent rim, said projection including a slot engaged by a rear portion of said bent rim during the last part of the closing movement, to prevent said rear portion of said bent rim from being lifted when said lid is closed.

4. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said arms includes a lever having one end connected to said first pivot means, an intermediate portion connected to said second pivot means, and another end portion extending outwardly therefrom and wherein the biasing means includes a helicoidal spring tensioned between said bottom wall and said another end of said arm.

5. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the bias ing means includes means for urging the lid into the open position when same is between the closed position and a given intermediate position and means for urging the lid into the closed position when same is between the open position and said given intermediate position.

6. A cabinet according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said arms includes a lever having one end connected to said first pivot means, an intermediate portion connected to said second pivot means, and another end portion extending outwardly therefrom and wherein the means for urging includes a helicoidal spring tensioned between said bottom wall and said another end of said arm. 

1. A top access cabinet comprising: a front wall; a rear wall; two side walls; means defining a given pivot axis at the top rear portion of the cabinet; a lid; and means mounting said lid for pivotal movement between an open and closed position about said given pivot axis along a portion of said lid between the rear portion and the intermediate portion thereof during movement of the lid from the closed position to the open position wherein the lid is adjacent to said rear wall, said means comprising two arms, first means for pivotally connecting each of said arms to one side of a front portion of said lid, second means for pivotally connecting each of said arms to a fixed pivot point on one side wall between the intermediate portion and rear portion of said side walls, and means biasing at least one of said arms for balancing the weight of the lid in any intermediate position between the closed position and the open position.
 2. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said means defining said given pivot axis comprises two support members fixed to the top edge of said rear wall, said lid including a peripheral bent rim resting and sliding on said support member in the intermediate positions of said lid.
 3. A cabinet according to claim 2, wherein each of said support members includes a rear portion adapted to engage side portions of said bent rim when said lid is in said open position for enabling said lid to be inclined downwardly away from said rear wall and a projection in an upper portion thereof for laterally guiding said bent rim, said projection including a slot engaged by a rear portion of said bent rim during the last part of the closing movement, to prevent said rear portion of said bent rim from being lifted when said lid is closed.
 4. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said arms includes a lever having one end connected to said first pivot means, an intermediate portion connected to said second pivot means, and another end portion extending outwardly therefrom and wherein the biasing means includes a helicoidal spring tensioned between said bottom wall and said another end of said arm.
 5. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means includes means for urging the lid into the open position when same is between the closed position and a given intermediate position and means for urging the Lid into the closed position when same is between the open position and said given intermediate position.
 6. A cabinet according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said arms includes a lever having one end connected to said first pivot means, an intermediate portion connected to said second pivot means, and another end portion extending outwardly therefrom and wherein the means for urging includes a helicoidal spring tensioned between said bottom wall and said another end of said arm. 